OCR Text |
Show $15,000,000 YEAR INCOME OF ALVERflBO, MEXICO'S RICHEST MAN "I consider the Palmllla mine of Mexico Mexi-co the rlchesf In the world," said D. M. Evans, an American miner Just from tbe Southern republic, who spent yesterday In Salt Lake en route to Butte. "I bare been working as superintendent at several sev-eral mines In Parral and other Chihuahua camps, and learned a great deal about the history , of various Mexican properties. Among these was the Palmllla. It has been owned and operated by the Alverado -family for more than 200 years. During all this time they' have slowly been digging dig-ging down Into the ground, securing fairly fair-ly remunerative pay rock. "When Pedro Alverado took hold of tbe mine his father snd forefathers had almost al-most succeeded In removing the mere covering of its Incalculable riches. After a few years' work, when Pedro bad opened up these rich veins. It was erroneously erro-neously announced to the world that 'a peon had suddenly struck it rich.' This announcement was followed by others, showing this wealthy Mexican under false lights. In one Instance It was published that he had offered to pay tbe national debt of his country. - In the first place, Senor Alverado Is not a peon, and in the second place he never offered to pay the Mexican national na-tional debt, although he Is probably able financially to do so. - He belongs to the higher class of Mexicans, who are very aristocratic and proud, and therefore tbe manner la which a part of the American press has treated Alverado has made him very bitter against all Americans. He resents being pictured as having a thousand thou-sand clocks and fifteen or twenty pianos In his house, and of decorating his person per-son with gold and Jewels, even though he Is the richest man In Mexico. "The Palmllla mine, of wblch he Is now sole owner, affords Alverado an Income of more than $15,000,000 per year. If operated oper-ated by Americans It would yield him $20,000,000 per year. Only one American besides myself has ever been permitted to enter this mine. That was when Dr. Kiefer of the Lehigh university was sent there to gather statistics on the mineral resources of Mexico, and I secured for him admission to tbe workings. - ."Everything about the mine Is exceedingly exceed-ingly crude. Alverado will not even adopt tramways, because he says ' It would destroy the employment of too many men." |